HORIZONTAL CONVEYER FOR LINKED SAUSAGE STRANDS

CONVOYEUR HORIZONTAL POUR CORDON DE SAUCISSES EN CHAPELET

English Abstract

A horizontal conveyor for linked sausage strands has a frame (10) having a
horizontal operating platform (12) with
opposite first (16) and second ends (18), opposite sides, a top surface (20),
and a continuous perimeter wall d (14) extending along the
sides and first and second ends. The perimeter wall (14) is substantially semi-
circular at the first end (16)S); and has a substantially
parallel side portions at a midsection; and has end portions that converge
towards each other from the siside portions to meet at a
semi-circular end portion (18 A) at the second end (18). A channel (24) is
located in the top portion in u uniform inwardly spaced
relation to the perimeter wall, and a continuous conveyor chain (26) is in the
channel. A plurality of spaced'd hook members (28) are
secured to the conveyor chain and have a shank (30) slidably engaging the top
of the perimeter wall, andtd a hook portion extends
downwardly and outwardly with respect to the perimeter wall. The semicircular
end portion of the second d end (18) of the platform
comprises a sausage loading station and has a diameter less than the distance
between the side portions c of the perimeter wall so
that the hook portions of the hook members sliding over such end portion will
travel at a speed greater than the speed of the hook
members sliding over the side portions of the perimeter wall.

French Abstract

Le convoyeur horizontal de chaînes de saucisses rattachées a un cadre (10) doté d'une plate-forme (12) à fonctionnement horizontal pourvue de première (16) et seconde (18) extrémités opposées, des côtés opposés, une surface supérieure (20) et une paroi de périmètre continu (14) qui s'étend le long des côtés et des première et seconde extrémités. La paroi de périmètre (14) est pratiquement semi-circulaire au niveau de la première extrémité (16) et présente des portions latérales pratiquement parallèles en partie centrale, des parties d'extrémités qui convergent les unes vers les autres à partir des parties latérales pour se rencontrer au niveau d'une partie d'extrémité semi-circulaire (18A) au niveau de l'extrémité secondaire (18). Une voie (24) est située dans la partie supérieure de manière uniforme séparée internement par rapport à la paroi de périmètre, et une chaîne de convoyeur continue (26) se trouve dans la voie. Plusieurs éléments de crochets espacés (28) sont fixés sur la chaîne du convoyeur et ont une partie verticale (30) qui rentre en contact coulissant avec la partie supérieure de la paroi de périmètre, et une partie de crochet s'étend vers le bas et vers l'extérieur par rapport à la paroi de périmètre. La partie d'extrémité semi-circulaire de la seconde extrémité (18) de la plate-forme comprend une station de chargement de saucisses et possède un diamètre inférieur à la distance entre les parties latérales de la paroi de périmètre de telle manière que les parties en crochet des éléments de crochets glissant sur une telle partie d'extrémité se déplacent à une vitesse supérieure à celle des éléments de crochets glissant sur les parties latérales de la paroi de périmètre.

Claims

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CLAIMS:

1. A horizontal conveyor for linked sausage strands, comprising, a frame
having a horizontal operating platform with opposite first and second ends,
opposite sides, a top surface, and a continuous perimeter wall extending along
the
sides and first and second ends, the perimeter wall being substantially semi-
circular at the first end; and having substantially parallel side portions at
a
midsection; and having end portions that converge towards each other from the
side portions to meet at a semi-circular end portion at said second end, a
channel
in the top portion in uniform inwardly spaced relation to the perimeter wall,
a
continuous conveyor chain in the channel, a plurality of spaced hook members
secured to the conveyor chain and having a shank slidably engaging the top of
the
perimeter wall, and a hook portion extending downwardly and outwardly with
respect to the perimeter wall, the semi-circular end portion of said second
end of
the platform comprising a sausage loading station and having a diameter less
than
the distance between the side portions of the perimeter wall so that the hook
portions of the hook members sliding over such end portion will travel at a
speed
greater than the speed of the hook members sliding over the side portions of
the
perimeter wall.

2. The conveyor of claim 1 wherein the perimeter wall is a plastic material.

3. The conveyor of claim 1 wherein the top surface in which the channel is
located is a plastic material.

4. The conveyor of claim 1 wherein the perimeter wall is a plastic material,
and
the top surface in which the channel is located is a plastic material.

5. A horizontal conveyor for linked sausage strands, comprising, a frame
having a horizontal operating platform with opposite first and second ends,
opposite sides, a top surface, and a continuous perimeter wall extending along
the
sides and first and second ends, the perimeter wall being substantially semi-
circular at the first end; and having substantially parallel side portions at
a




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midsection; and having end portions that converge toward each other from the
side
portions to meet at a semi-circular end portion at said second end, a channel
in the
top portion in uniform inwardly spaced relation to the perimeter wall, a
continuous
conveyor chain in the channel, a plurality of spaced hook members secured to
the
conveyor chain and having a shank slidably engaging the top of the perimeter
wall,
and a hook portion extending downwardly and outwardly with respect to the
perimeter wall, the semi-circular end portion of said second end of the
platform
comprising a sausage loading station and having a diameter less than the
distance
between the side portions of the perimeter.

6. The conveyor of claim 5 wherein the perimeter wall is a plastic material.

7. The conveyor of claim 5 wherein the top surface in which the channel is
located is a plastic material.

8. The conveyor of claim 5 wherein the perimeter wall is a plastic material,
and
the top surface in which the channel is located is a plastic material.

Description

CA 02355667 2004-02-11
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TITLE: HORIZONTAL CONVEYOR FOR LINKED SAUSAGE STRANDS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Horizontal conveyors have been used in conjunction with sausage making
machines. They have a horizontally disposed conveyor chain suspended on a
frame with hook elements extending outwardly therefrom to receive loops of an
encased sausage strand. These hooks move forward in a steppinglcyclic motion
to
allow a predetermined number of linked sausages to hang from each hook. The
stepping action is a disadvantage. The velocity of the chain combined with the
stepping action of the chain imposed on the loops of sausages causes them to
swing from the hooks whereupon the linked sausages begin to untwist.
Therefore, the principal object of the invention is to provide a horizontal
conveyor for linked sausage strands that has a conveyor chain that may be
operated at a continuous uniform speed with an operating configuration that
allows
hooks attached to the chain to accelerate to an increased constant speed at
the
time that they pick up the sausage strand from an adjacent sausage making
machine.
A further object of the invention is to provide a horizontal conveyor for
linked
sausage strands that will not operate at variable or intermittent speeds with
stopping and starting motions and which will not impart swinging motion to the
loops of the sausage strands so as to eliminate unraveling of the linked
strand.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A horizontal conveyor for linked sausage strands has a frame having a
horizontal operating platform with opposite first and second ends, opposite
sides, a top surface, and a continuous perimeter wall extending along the
sides and first and second ends. The perimeter wall is substantially semi-
circular
at the first end; and has a substantially parallel side portions at a
midsection; and
has end portions that converge towards each other from the side portions to
meet
at a semi-circular end portion at the second end.

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A channel is located in the top portion in uniform inwardly spaced relation to
the perimeter wall, and a continuous conveyor chain is in the channel. A
plurality
of spaced hook members are secured to the conveyor chain and have a shank
slidably engaging the top of the perimeter wall, and a hook portion extends
downwardly and outwardly with respect to the perimeter wall. The semi-circular
end portion of the second end of the platform comprises a sausage loading
station
and has a diameter less than the distance between the side portions of the
perimeter wall so that the hook portions of the hook members sliding over such
end portion will travel at a speed greater than the speed of the hook members
sliding over the side portions of the perimeter wall.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the conveyor of this invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged
scale plan view of the sausage loading station and forward end of the
conveyor;
Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is
a
perspective view of the forward end of the conveyor taken upstream therefrom;
and Fig. 5 is a side elevational perspective view of the forward end shown in
Fig. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A frame 10 has an operating platform 12 which has an outer perimeter wall
14. The platform 12 has a first end 16, a second or forward end 18, and a top
surtace 20 which supports wall 14. The wall 14 and platform 12 are preferably
comprised of plastic.
The wall 14 has a semi-circular wall portion 16A around end 16; a smaller
semi-circular wall portion 18A around forward end 18; parallel spaced sidewall
portions 21 extending forwardly from wall portion 16A; and converging diagonal
wall portions 22 which extend from sidewall portions 21 to wall portion 18A.
A continuous channel 24 is formed in top surface 20 in uniform spaced
relation to wall 14. A continuous conveying chain 26 is slidably mounted in
channel 24 and is powered in any convenient manner such as by an electric
motor
(not shown) to move the chain in channel 24 at a uniform continuous speed.
Spaced hooks 28 have one end secured to chain 26 in any convenient

CA 02355667 2004-02-11
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manner. The hooks 28 are comprised of an elongated shank 30 which has an
inner end connected to the chain. The shank extends slidably outwardly over
the
wall 14, and terminates in a hook portion 32 that extends downward and
outwardly
from the wall 14.
An elongated strand 34 of linked sausage is delivered through conventional
horn 36 of a sausage encasing and linking machine whereupon the strand flows
into the path of hooks 18 which are moving past the loading station 38 at end
18.
Loops 34A of linked sausages are deposited on the hooks 28 leaving a forward
end 18.
Because of the small diameter of the forward wall portion 18A of the wall 14
and the correspondingly small diameter of channel 24 at the forward end and
adjacent to the end wall 18A, the hooks 28 moving around end wall portion 18A
momentarily have their velocity increased. Further, during that momentary
period
of time, the travel around the wall portion 18A is at a uniform accelerated
speed for
that short distance. This increased uniform velocity allows a loop 35 of
sausages
to be loaded on to a first hook 28 without interference with the next
succeeding
hook. This procedure permits a smooth loading of the loop of sausages 35A and
avoids the unwanted inertia motion of loops that often cause unraveling of the
strand 34:
It is therefore seen that this invention will accomplish all of its stated
objectives.

Representative Drawing